Thumbless boxing glove



June 12, 1951 c, w, HILTON 2,556,759

THUMBLESS BOXING GLOVE Filed Jan. 51, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR,

June 12, 1951 c. w. HILTON 2,556,759

. THUMBLESS BOXING GLOVE Filed Jan. 31, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \J (20 l7 l2 v fig. 3B.

INVEN TOR, Cfirm'e WMWQM June 12, 1951 c. w. HILTON THUMBLESS BOXING GLOVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 31, 1950 uvmvro Carme 94K 1% f the gloves.

Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THUMBLESS BOXING GLOVE Carrie W. Hilton, Cincinnati, Ohio Application January 31, 1950, Serial No. 141,388

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a boxing glove of the thumbless variety, the primary purpose of which is to minimize the chances of serious injury being inflicted by the participants in a boxing contest.

An object of the invention is to provide a boxing glove so designed that the end and knuckle of the thumb, and the ball and fingers of the hand, may not be used by a contestant in a manner such as to inflict serious injury upon the head and body of the adversary in a boxing contest.

Another object is to provide a thumbless glove construction including an inner grip, which is comfortable and restful to the hand of the contestant, thereby avoiding unnecessary fatigue.

Another object is to protect the thumbs of the contestants against accidental or deliberate backward bending, which is painful and sometimes results in permanent serious injury to the hand.

Another objective is to produce a glove of the character stated, including an interior grip arrangement which not only enables and facilitates natural formation of a fist within the glove, but also performs automatically to contract the corbett or back of the glove to a safe and proper striking condition.

turally improve upon thumbless boxing gloves to obtain the advantages stated, and others of lesser importance, without objectionably increasing the weight and the manufacturing cost The glove may be made by machine, to the extent that any other boxing glove may be machine made.

- The foregoing and other objects to be hereinafter referred to, are attained by the means described, and illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the thumbless boxing glove of the invention, this being a right hand glove.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the glove, showing the palm area.

Figs. 3A and 3B collectively show in plan, and at half scale, all of the parts of the glove shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view showing the reverse side of the Fig. 1 glove.

other in artially assembled condition,

to striking position.

The drawings in this case depict a right-hand boxing glove constructed in accordance with the present invention. The corresponding left-hand glove, of course, will be constructed similarly with the usual reversal of parts, wherefore it is deemed superfluous to detail both gloves. It may be noted that the constituent parts of the glove are shown by Figs. 3A and 33 on exactly half-scale, so that by photographically doubling the size of the sheets bearing said parts, patterns thereof may be obtained for constructing a fullsize glove. No other figures of the drawings are made to exact scale.

The names of the parts and their reference characters are as follows: '8, the gusset band or strip; 9 the back member; III, the palm; I 2, the cuff; It, the liner; 14, the grip member; IS, the lacer; I6, the main thumb pad; H, the thumb side pad; 18, the little finger side pad; H), the ball pad; and 20, the cuff pads. The two cuff pads 20 are substantially identical, and-all of the pads l1, I8, and I9 may be made from the same pattern, if desired. Such a pattern is indicated at IT of Fig. 313.

All of the parts referred to herein as pads, will preferably be cushioned by means of hair, Wool, cotton or any other filling material suitable as a padding substance. The various parts of the glove may be formed from sheets of leather, or leather substitute material, or in fact any suitable flexible sheet material. Some or all of the parts may be of woven fabric, if desired, and no limitation is placed upon the nature of the material from which the glove may be manufactured. In assembling the glove, the parts may be joined together by means of stitching, cementing, or any other appropriate fastening expedient.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be noted that the glove has no separate thum-compartment, but instead, the thumb of the user enters the glove along with all the fingers to cooperate in grasping the grip member [4 just as the hand would naturally grasp a trapeze bar, for example. The grip member is so related to other parts of the glove as will be explained later, that the formation of a fist within the glove and about the grip member, serves to curl the forward end 2!, or corbett, of the back toward and substantially against the forward end 22 of the main thumb pad I6. It is therefore unnecessary for the user to employ the ends of his fingers to pull the forward end of the corbett The aforesaid disposition and function of the grip member avoids the fatigue that heretofore commonly resulted from constant effort on the part of the boxer to maintain a clenched fist, using the relatively weak ends of the fingers to curl the corbett to striking position. The grip member as built into the present glove, assures proper formation of the corbett for striking, by the mere clenching of the grip member in a natural manner, and without straining the finger tips. In addition, it per mits unobstructed opening and closing of the hand, for the purpose of relaxation.

To further facilitate disposition of the corbett to striking position, a form of hinge is provided approximately over the knuckles of the hand by applying a transverse line of stitching 23 at that location, the stitching passing through the back and the liner I3, and thereby separating the padding or filling material into two wads 2G and 25 each confined within its own compartment. The transverse stitch 2S performs also the very important function of preventing shifting of the padding toward the rear of the back 9, to objectionably expose the knuckles. In the form of glove herein disclosed, the two anchored wads 25 and 24, maintained in place over the fingers and over the back of the hand, respectively, keep the knuckles from being substantially bared or exposed for extension beyond the two wads, and preclude use of the knuckles in an injurious or damaging fashion.

A second transverse anchor stitch 26, formed over the wrist bones of the hand, secures the rear margin 21 of the back to the forward margin 28 of the cuff I2, and fastens both of said margins to the liner I3, thereby to form a third compartment of wadding non-shiftably disposed over the wrist. The transverse stitch 26 passes through the liner at a distance from its rear edge 29 approximating the depth of cuff I2, as measured along the major axis of the glove. This stitch results in formation of a hinge over the wrist, which affords a desirable freedom of wrist movement.

Assembly of the glove may be performed in various ways, so long as the parts are joined and located to perform in accordance with the invention. Fig. 6 shows that the gusset band or strip 8 has opposite edges 38 and 3!, and opposite ends 32 and 33. Approximately midway between the ends of the band, the edge 30 is attached to the forward end of the palm If! at a point on the major axis of the latter. This edge 38 is long enough to coincide with the side edges 3434 of the palm II), to approximately the location of the nearest edges of the cuff pads 202@. The edges 30 and 3 3, in assembling the glove, are stitched to one another.

It will be noted that the palm II carries the pads I6 and I9 applied to one face of the palm, whereas the opposite face carries the cuff pads 20-20 and the lacer I5. A central slit 35 of the lacer coincides with a central slit 36 of the palm. The several pads just mentioned may be applied to the palm either prior to or subse- (3128113133 to joining of the gusset band to the edges The opposite edge 3| of the gusset band or strip has its middle point secured to the forward end 2| of the back, with a slight overlap as shown, approximately at the forward end of the major axis of the corbett. Each side edge 37 of the corbett is much longer than half the length of the gusset band edge 3|, but by gathering the material of the back along its edges 3'I-3'I, said edges may be stitched to the edge 3| of the. gusset band to dispose the gusset band ends 33 and 32 to positions at opposite ends of the rear edge 21, of the back. The side edges 3S-3 of the liner I 3 are secured to the edges SI of the gusset band, and to the edges 31 and AI of the corbett and cuff I2, respectively. The extreme forward end 40 of the liner is secured to the gusset edge 3|.

It Will be undersood from the foregoing, that the edges SI, 39, 3'5, and 'll shall all be joined along the sides and forward portion of the glove, with the gathers 38 (Fig. 2) forming a compartment for wadding or filling material between the back and the liner. When the glove is assembled, the rear edge 29 of the liner coincides with the rear edge 62 of the cuff, and is stitched or otherwise attached thereto, and the opposite ends 32 33 of the gusset band reach and are joined to the points 63 and =34 of the back and the palm,

' at the sides of the glove.

The pads ll and I8 may be applied to the gusset band or strip at any convenient stage of assembly of the parts. I

In the course of assembly as above related, it is desirable to apply the hand grip member I4. The grip may be simply a rectangular piece of flexible material folded in half lengthwise, and stitched longitudinally and transversely at 45 and 46 to form a central compartment stuiied with filling or wedding material 41, flanked by the flattened ends til-49. These ends may be anchored to the back 9 and the gusset strip 8,

at their connected edges 31 and 3|. The location of the hand grip is a matter of considerable importance, for the reason that it is required to automatically curl the forward end of the padded corbett toward the palm and the thumb pad edge 22, by the simple action of the fingers and thumb in grasping the grip member naturally, or as one would grip a trapeze bar, for example. Accordingly, it is desirable that the ends 48 and 49 of the grip member be of considerable width, and that they be attached to the gusset edge M and the liner edges at locations quite close to the forward end 40 of the liner. In the embodiment illustrated by Fig. 2, the grip ends 48 and 49 are anchored as stated, at and forwardly of the forward ends of the thumb pad I6 and the little finger pad I8. As Fig. 1 illustrates, any clenching of the grip member I4 necessarily results in pulling the forward end of the corbett toward the pad I6, and this is accomplished without disposition of the finger tips within the tip end of the corbett. By locating the grip member as herein disclosed, with substantially the full length of the grip member free of connection to the glove except at its very ends, the finger-tips of the user are relieved of all the strain which, in ordinary glove construction, resulted from holding the glove in the fisted striking condition. The construction of the present invention avoids fatigue to an extent never before attained in this art.

It is readily understood, of course, that the glove is held onto the hand in the usual manner, by means of a lace passing through holes 50 provided in the reinforcing lacer I5 and the palm I 0 to which the lacer is secured in face contact. Any other type of fastening means may be employed for this purpose, if desired.

Various other modifications and changes in. structural details of the glove may be made, with- V in the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is: 1. In a thumbless boxing glove, the combinaing a forward edge and a pair of opposite side edges, the corbett being of larger dimensions that the liner and palm member, an elongate narrow gusset band having opposite ends and opposed side edges, said band edges each approximating in length the length of the side edges and forward edge of the liner, means securing the forward and side edges of the palm member to one side edge of the gusset band, means securing the opposite side edge of the gusset band to the forward and side edges of the liner and the corbett, the edges of the corbett being gathered to make them coincide with the adjacent edge of the gusset band, padding material between the liner and the corbett, a hand grip member in the form of a strap having opposite ends and .an intermediate portion, said grip memberbeing located between the liner and the palm member, and means securing the ends of the grip member to the gusset band near the opposite ends of the forward edge of the liner.

2. In .a thumbless boxing glove, the combination of a corbett, a liner, and a palm member, all of substantial horse-shoe shape and each having a forward edge and a pair of opposite side edges, the corbett being of larger dimensions than the liner and palm member, an elongate narrow gusset band having opposite ends and opposed side edges, said band edges each approximating in length the length of the side edges and forward edge of the liner, means securing the forward and side edges of the palm member to one side edge of the gusset band, means securing the opposite side edge of the gusset band to the forward and side edges of the liner and the corbett, the edges of the corbett being gathered to make them incide with the adjacent edge of the gusset band, padding material between the liner and the corbett, a hand grip member in the form of a strap having opposite ends and an intermediate portion, said grip member being located between the liner and the palm member, whereby grasping the hand grip member serves to curve the forward end of the corbett toward the palm member, transverse fastening means joining the corbett to the liner intermediate the ends of the corbett, substantially over the knuckles of the hand, to divide the padding material of the corbett and establish a hinge facilitating flexing of the glove over the back of the hand, and means for securing the glove about the wrist of the hand.

3. In a thumbless boxing glove, the combination of a corbett, a liner, and a palm member, all of substantial horse-shoe shape and each having a forward edge and a pair of opposite side edges, the corbett being of larger dimensions than the liner and palm member, an elongate narrow gusset band having opposite ends and opposed side edges, said band edges each approximating in length the length of the side edges and forward edge of the liner, means securing the forward and side edges of the palm member to one side edge of the gusset band, means securing the opposite side edge of the gusset band to the forward and side edges of the liner and the corbett, the edges of the corbett being gathered to make them coincide with the adjacent edge of the gusset band, padding material between the liner and the corbett, a hand grip member in the space between the liner and the palm member, arranged to flex the forward end of the corbett toward the palm member when the grip member is grasped by the fingers and thumb of the hand, and means for holding the glove about the wrist of the hand.

4. In a thumbless boxing glove, the combination of a corbett, a liner, and a palm member, all of substantial horse-shoe shape and each having a forward edge and a pair of opposite side edges, the corbett being of larger dimensions than the liner and palm member, an elongate narrow gusset band having opposite ends and opposed side edges, said band edges each approximating in length the length of the side edges and forward edge of the liner, means securing the forward and side edges of the palm member to one side edge of the gusset band, means securing the opposite side edge of the gusset band to the forward and side edges of the liner and the corbett, the edges of the corbett being gathered to make them coincide with the adjacent edge of the gusset band, padding material between the liner and the corbett, a hand grip member in the space between the liner and the palm member, said grip member being in the form of a strap having opposite ends, means securing said strap ends within the glove at a forward advanced location, whereby a rearward pull imposed on the grip member flexes and curves the forward end of the corbett toward the palm of the hand, and means for holding the glove about the wrist of the hand.

5. In a thumbless boxing glove, the combination of means providing an envelope for the hand, including a padded corbett covering the back of the hand between the wrist and the finger tips, and means providing a transverse hinge across the corbett at approximately the location of the knuckles of the hand.

6. In a thumbless, boxing glove, the combination of a corbett, a liner, and a palm member, all of substantial horse-shoe shape and each having a forward edge and a pair of opposite side edges, the corbett being of larger dimensions than the liner and palm member, an elongate narrow gusset band having opposite ends and opposed side edges, said band edges each approximating in length the length of the side edges and forward edge of the liner, means securing the forward and side edges of the palm member to one side edge of the gusset band, means securing the opposite side edge of the gusset band to the forward and side edges of the liner and the corbett, the edges of the corbett being gathered to make them coincide with the adjacent edge of the gusset band, padding material between the liner and the corbett, a hand grip member in the form of a strap having opposite ends and an intermediate portion, said grip member being located between the liner and the palm member, and means securing the ends of the grip member to the gusset band near the opposite ends of the forward edge of the liner, leaving the intermediate portion of the grip member free for encirclement by the fingers of a hand inserted into the glove.

7. In a thumbless boxing glove, the combination of a corbett, a liner, and a palm member, all of substantial horse-shoe shape and each having a forward edge and a pair of opposite side edges, the corbett being of larger dimensions than the liner and palm member, an elongate narrow gusset band having opposite ends and opposed side edges, said band edges each approximating in length the length of the side edges and forward edge of the liner, means securing the forward and side edges of the palm member to one side edge of the gusset band, means securing the opposite 7 side edge of the gusset band to the forward and side edges of the liner and the corbett, the edges of the corbett being gathered to make them coincide with the adjacent edge of the gusset band, padding material between the liner and the corbett, a hand grip member in the space between the liner and the palm member, said grip member being in the form of a strap having opposite ends and an intermediate portion, means securing said strap ends within the glove at a forward advanced location, whereby a rearward pull imposed on the grip member flexes and curves the forward end of the corbett toward the palm of the hand, the intermediate portion of the grip member being free for encirclement by the fingers of a edges, said band edges each approximating in length the length of the side edges and forward edge of the liner, means securing the forward and side edges of the palm member to one side edge of the gusset band, means securing the opposite side edge of the gusset band to the forward and side edges of the liner and the corbett, the edges of the corbett being gathered to make them coincide with the adjacent edge of the gusset band, padding material between the liner and the corbett, and a grip member to be clenched by a hand inserted into the glove.

CARRIE W. HILTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

